1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cot dispensing systems and more particularly to a cot dispenser in which the cots are telescopically stacked and suspended in a perforated cot support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,868 issued on July 4, l972, discloses an improved electronic-medical thermometer. The thermometer is designed to receive and retain a disposable latex cot or sheath over its sensing element during temperature measurements to prevent contamination from spreading between patients during subsequent temperature measurements.
The thermometer disclosed in the above-referenced patent is provded with cot retaining means in the form of resilient, outwardly biased portions spaced rearwardly of the sensing element for engaging the inner surface of a beaded rim of an associated cot when the cot is stretched over the sensing element. After use, the outwardly biased portions of the thermometer are squeezed inwardly thereby enabling the cot to be ejected by virtue of the natural resiliency of the cot.
Heretofore, cots were provided in various forms of packages. Some cots were supplied unwrapped in bulk containers to be individually placed on a temperature probe while others were provided in separate, sterilized wrappers. An improved form of cot dispenser was disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 184,129 filed on Sept. 27, 1971 which is presently pending and commonly assigned herewith. The improved dispensing package included a flat, two-ply sheet formed of relatively rigid cardboard material having a plurality of openings extending through the sheet with openings through the top ply being slightly larger than the corresponding openings through the bottom ply. The cots were disposed within these openings and were removed by inserting the previously described electronic-medical thermometer into the cot and stretching the cot with the thermometer while engaging the cot rim with the cot retaining means on the probe.
Prior to the development of the improved dispensing package, cots had to be individually stretched over the temperature probe. In doing so the cot was extensively handled and the possibility of contamination was greatly increased. Valuable time was also lost while one fumbled with the cot trying to stretch it over a temperature probe. The improved dispensing package clearly provided a more convenient system for dispensing cots and placing the cots over the temperature probe.
One disadvantage of the improved dispensing package was that all of the cots were simultaneously exposed to the atmosphere and therefore were subjected to contamination prior to use. This was especially true if all of the cots in the package were not used at one time. Thus, the prior art did not provide a convenient cot dispenser that exposed only one cot at a time.
In another commonly assigned copending application, Ser. No. 320,532 there was disclosed a cot dispenser system having an elongated tape with spaced perforations in which rubber cots were suspended. The tape was wound in a compact roll and inserted into a dispensing container which was either reusable or disposable. A tape support was positioned to support an unrolled portion of the tape so that a cot could be freely suspended from the unrolled portion for removal through an opening in the container by insertion of a medical probe. This dispensing system had many advantages over the prior art but a sufficiently rigid dispenser proved to be somewhat expensive and therefore less expensive alternatives were sought.